The economy got what it was looking for in April: A burst of hiring that added a net 290,000 jobs – the biggest monthly total in four years.

Although jobs were gained, national unemployment rose to 9.9 percent due to an influx of people re-entering the labor market.

“What you have is a lot of people drop out of the labor force because they didn’t feel there were any jobs out there for them,” said Jack Kyser, founding economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

“As the economy starts to improve, and we’re definitely in a slow recovery, these people will be encouraged to get back into the labor market.”

The hiring last month of 66,000 temporary government workers to conduct the census added to overall job creation. But private employers contributed the most: A surprisingly strong 231,000 jobs, the most since March 2006, the Labor Department said Friday.

The census jobs will disappear by the end of year, but temporary health jobs saw growth, Kyser said.

“Companies are not certain that business is going to continue to come in,” Kyser said. “They don’t want to put anybody on full-time, so they hire a temp and if the business does continue to come in that temp might get a full-time job.”

The unemployment rate may continue to go up as more people start looking for work again, causing some conflicting reports, Kyser said.

“Even though we’re getting news on the jobs front we’re concerned the unemployment rate nationally and in California will probably run at uncomfortably high levels for at least another year,” Kyser said.

The increase of jobs in April offered the latest evidence that businesses are feeling more confident in the recovery. Consumers increased their spending in March by the largest amount in five months. Factory production grew in April at the fastest pace in nearly six years and demand grew briskly for a variety of services that month.

Manufacturers, construction companies, retailers, professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality as well as the government all showed gains.

Transportation and warehousing as well as information companies cut jobs last month.

Also, the employment picture in February and March turned out to be stronger than previously thought. Payrolls grew by 230,000 in March, better than the 162,000 first reported. And, 39,000 jobs were actually added in February, an improvement from the previous estimate of 14,000 losses.